Eye Of The Beholder
by Todd's Pet
Summary: Okay so I didn't name these 3 but we all know the gorgeous dreadlocked one is Greg - but Steve swears any reemblence between him and the arrogant smoothy is purely coincidental! A kind of Beauty And The Beast story, so a bit festive!


He is the most beautiful creature she has ever seen. Just looking at him leaves her breathless. But she knows she could throw herself at his feet and he'd simply step over her without even noticing or breaking his stride.

Like all wraith he has long, white hair and yellow reptile eyes, but there the similarity ends. His hair is longer, smoother, shinier; his eyes glitter and sparkle like yellow diamonds. They sit between elegantly sweeping brows and startlingly chiselled cheekbones. When he speaks the listener's attention is torn between his full, sensual lips and the deep, smooth-as-melted-chocolate voice that comes from them. Even his black leather uniform coat sways more gracefully around his tall and slender form than on any other wraith in the hive.

She isn't even in his league.

Brought to the hive from Earth mere weeks ago after the first big cull there, she has barely had time to get over the feeling of disorientation and certainly hasn't had time to take care of her appearance. She's too old anyway – at 50 she knows the firm and athletic body she used to enjoy is long gone, the first sprinkling of grey is threading through her deep auburn hair, and the laughter lines around her eyes are settling into wrinkles, plain and simple.

She sighs and turns away sadly. It's just too painful to look at him, knowing he'll never look at her with anything other than contempt.

oOo

"He keeps giving you funny looks," Sarah nudges her and nods over in the direction of a huge, dreadlocked wraith.

"He's not worth getting excited about," Claire says disparagingly.

"Don't be silly," she says, "None of them are interested in me." But she looks over at him nevertheless. He's in charge of the drones and he's orchestrating them in bringing the heavy boxes and cartons of supplies into the kitchens that keep the hive's worshippers fed. He is enormous, she thinks. Well over six foot tall and heavily built with it, he moves with a slightly lumbering gait, as if he's never quite gotten used to living in his own body. He slaps the drones on the back as he directs them where to stack their boxes and cracks jokes about humans and their food. He's not the in the least bit beautiful but he smiles constantly and she realises he's the cheeriest looking person of any species she's seen in months.

He turns, catches her watching him, and beams at her. She can almost feel the warmth of his smile on her face… then she realises that it's actually because she's blushing furiously.

oOo

"Me? There must be a mistake – no wraith would want me," she stammers self-consciously.

The wraith officer in charge merely sticks his nose in the air and sniffs haughtily as he pokes her in the back, pushing her through the doorway. She holds her breath fearfully as she walks into the room, but sighs in relief when she sees the wraith waiting there for her and recognises him instantly as the wraith who had smiled at her yesterday.

She's never seen him up close before and he's a full foot taller than her, so she has to crane her head back to look him in the eye. But those eyes are dancing with mischief when he says, "Don't be so nervous – I won't bite!"

oOo

He's not good looking and several of the other women make fun of her every now and then for being with him. They think him ugly and lumbering and simple; but she knows him better. She just smiles at their cutting remarks as if she were keeping a wonderful secret – which, in a way, she is. They would all be jealous of her if they knew him like she does, for he is the wisest, kindest and happiest soul she has ever met.

She gets through her chores with ease now and rushes back to his quarters at night, looking forward to being with someone who makes her feel so relaxed and content.

Then one night, as they lie snuggled together in the dark, he whispers into her ear, "You have a terrible pain in your back – why do you put up with it?"

"Oh that," she shrugs it off, "That's just old age, I'm afraid, wear and tear. I don't have a lot of option than to just put up with it."

"I can take the pain away," he tells her, "Though you would have to trust me a great deal…"

oOo

In the morning, she drags herself away from the warm comfort of his arms and sets about getting ready for her day. As she steps out of the shower she catches sight of herself in the mirror and gasps. She'd quite forgotten how slim and agile she used to be.

Her long, straight hair shines like burnished bronze and, with no fatigue to dull them, her green eyes sparkle in a face that has not a single line to mar the smooth, soft skin. She stands and stares at her 20-year old self in the mirror and wonders if she's still in bed, asleep and dreaming.

Her wraith wanders in behind her, kisses the top of her head and asks, "Has it stopped hurting?" She looks at him, puzzled, and he adds, "The pain in your back… has it stopped now?" She grins at him but is still speechless. It makes him laugh as he says, "I believe it has that effect on most humans – I suppose it can be quite disconcerting to wake up looking and feeling 30 years younger than the night before!"

"I'm beautiful," she sighs.

Suddenly he stops laughing and steps up close behind her. He wraps his arms around her and looks over the top of her head at her reflection. "You were beautiful last night," he tells her gently. "This morning you're just beautiful AND young."

She twists around in his arms and wraps hers around him and thinks her luck just couldn't get any better.

oOo

He strides straight over to her and grasps her chin in his hand, making her look up into his eyes. She's gotten used to looking away whenever this beautiful wraith passes by, so that she doesn't have to look at him and remind herself how inadequate she is. It's been easy so far because he's never even glanced her way, always walked by as if she doesn't even exist.

But not this time, this time he notices her the instant he sees her.

"Where have they been hiding you?" he asks her.

"I have been living on this hive for months," she replies.

"Why have I not seen you before then?"

"I have been here, under your nose, every day," she tells him, gazing straight into his eyes. She knows her defiance shines there for all to see but she can't help it.

His beautiful face breaks into a smile that makes him look like an angel. She takes a deep breath and tries to still her heart.

"Come to my quarters tonight," he tells her starkly and turns to walk away.

Suddenly, she sees another smile in her mind and it snaps her out of the trance this stylish wraith seems to hold her in.

"I can't!" she says without thinking.

He spins to face her again, his soft and shining hair swirling around his shoulders, an expression of disbelief on his face. "What?"

"I already… I already belong to another…"

"Which one? Think of him, I will know…" he grasps her face in his hands. "Oh, that one," he smiles. "I outrank him – you're mine now." He drops his hands and turns to walk away again, saying as he goes, "Don't be late."

oOo

"But I don't want to go," she says, realising the truth of her own words for the first time herself, and understanding what it means.

"You have to," the big wraith tells her. "He's right – he outranks me."

"Do you want me to go?" she says sadly, "Don't you feel… aren't you angry?"

"Don't be silly, human – of course I don't want you to go to him." He looks at the tears glistening in her eyes and understands that she returns his feelings. He takes her in his arms and tells her, "I'm furious but what can I do? I suppose I could kill him, but another would simply take his place. You're so beautiful I'd have to kill half the hive to keep you."

"Why? Just because I'm young and slim again?" she asks.

"Appearance and style are important to most wraith."

"But not you," she says, not unkindly. "More important things matter to you. And you thought I was beautiful anyway just the way I was." Suddenly she smiles broadly and adds, "I have an idea!"

oOo

She has to take a deep breath when he opens his door, to steel herself for his reaction.

"What do you want?" he asks arrogantly.

"You asked me to come to your quarters," she replies politely.

He laughs. "I don't think so!"

"Oh, yes, you did, just this morning." She tries not to smile. "You told me I have to leave the wraith I'm with and come to you because you outrank him."

His face is a picture as he recalls their conversation but clearly can't see past her appearance. "What is this?" he demands. "Is this some kind of joke? Who are you?"

"But, sir… I'm the woman you spoke to this morning."

"You cannot be! She was young and beautiful and you… you're…"

"I assure you I am the same person," she says, having to fight the grin she knows will be all over the face of the big wraith hiding in the shadows of the corridor she's standing in. "Although I may be a few years older than I was this morning… my wraith had to punish me, you see, so he took back–"

"Pah!" the beautiful wraith interrupts and shuts his door in her face.

Mere seconds pass before she can contain herself no longer and breaks into a fit of giggling. She turns and looks into the shadows and her wraith comes staggering out, laughing and grinning his big, beautiful smile.

He sweeps her up into his arms and carries her back to his rooms, the two of them laughing together all the way.

"You were right, that was fun!" he says, putting her down when they reach his rooms. "If only he could see past the end of his nose! And now I have the most beautiful worshipper on the ship!" Suddenly serious, he asks her, "You're sure you don't mind giving him up and being your true age?"

"Why ever would I mind?" she says, wrapping her arms around him. "After all, I have the most beautiful wraith on the ship who'll love me no matter how old I get."

THE END


End file.
